Excellent advise. Time, and trial and error were key for me as well. However...its not always possible for individuals to lay hands on a bow. Shooting beforehand reduces risk of a bad match to zero, but then again those who have no way of trying lots of bows of interest will miss out on many fine bows simply because they could not shoot one. Yes it's a bit of a risk to buy without first shooting. But doing my homework with lots of scrutiny and common sense spending much time...both bows that came to be my best evers were bought without prior shooting.Crazynate wrote:I have bought really expensive custom bows before that I never even shot before buying. I think I learned the hard way because archery is all about feel. That doesn't mean any top end custom bow is going to feel right for me. There is not a bad bow out there being made in my opinion. They are all good. It trying to find the one that feels right is hard. I started going to all the big shoots and shows test shooting every bow I can get my hand on. This past year at Compton I probably shot 30 different models in 4 days. I keep notes as to what I like and don't like. Paying 600 plus for a bow with pretty woods won't do you any good if it doesn't fit you right. You'll end up like me trying to make a bow fit your style versus having a bow fit your style. It took me 7 years to find the right custom bow for me. I've owned 6 of them and now I keep my 2 best ones ready at all times for hunting. Getting a new bow is exiting and fun just take your time and don't pick a bow 100% in looks or how it shoots for someone else. Just my opinion.
Many quality and confident bowyers are now offering test drives. A great option....